Tuesday, September 29, 2015

The Scenic Road Home
Who I had been was no longer who I was.  In 2004, at the age of 45, I found myself widowed.  It was an invitation to discover who I would be for the rest of my life… who I am in God!  I was afraid and very doubtful, but in 2009 I entered a religious community.  After more than three years, I knew that it was not where I belonged.  I asked God what we were to do with God’s call now.  God brought me to the Sisters of the Humility of Mary.  My journey has taken me from North Carolina, to Tennessee, Texas, Ohio, back to North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and now back to Ohio again.  Each step has brought me closer to God and finally now, it has brought me home to the community where I belong.  I am not afraid anymore.  More and more I am learning who I am in God.  God wants each of us to live our true calling.  For me that is to be a woman religious and a Sister of the Humility of Mary.  On September 6, I professed first vows.  I look forward with deep peace and joy to the day I am able to profess final vows.  Deep peace and joy is what God offers.  Do you hear God’s invitation?
~ Sister Audrey
Growing up, I wanted to be an elementary teacher AND the starting shortstop for the Cleveland Indians. For a while, I wanted to be a lawyer and then a high school English teacher. In college, I majored in English and took courses in creative writing, Peace Studies, and history. I decided I wanted to be a journalist and wrote for the school paper. I graduated and applied for jobs in a variety of fields (but that would use my English degree). They all looked good on paper, but I had a nagging thought, “I want to work with people.” What did that mean? The thought called me from a comfortable job and dropped me in Central Minnesota and work with Somali refugees. It was there that I learned what “working with people” looked like in my life. There was still something missing.  I returned to Villa Maria and the HM Sisters for the JOY (Just One Year) live-in program and felt at home as I studied spirituality, service, and volunteered. It took me another 2 years before I began the process to enter the Community. Today, I work as a Refugee Resettlement Case Manager and am a Novice with the Sisters of the Humility of Mary.

-Eilis
Welcome
Welcome to our formation blog.  We hope to share some insights, joy and a few light moments with you.
~ Sister Audrey


Welcome
Welcome to our formation blog. Join us as we continue our journey with the HM community.
-Eilis